Molding device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a moulding device comprising a device for displacing at least one moulding tool ( 10,10   a ), especially for the production of geometrics of plastic containers, by means of a linking motion ( 12 ) which brings the respective moulding tool ( 10,10   a ) into a closing position (I-I) for at least the close of the mould. The linking position ( 12 ) can be operated by a drive ( 14 ). Based on the linking motion ( 12 ) a novel drive and displacement concept is provided, enabling the hydraulic means to be totally dispensed with and a drive, preferably an electric drive, to be used, especially in the form of a stepping motor.

Processes and molding devices for production of containers are known in the prior art (DE 199 26 329 A1), ones in which a hose of plasticized plastic material is extruded into a molding mechanism, one end of the hose is closed by heat sealing and the hose is expanded by generation of a pneumatic pressure gradient acting on the hose and applied to the molding wall of the molding mechanism consisting of two opposite molding tools to form the container. The plastic container is then filled under sterile conditions into the molding mechanism by way of an appropriate charging mandrel and, after the charging mandrel has been removed, is hermetically sealed, a specific head geometry being formed. For the purpose of forming the plastic container proper, in which fluid is later stored, two container molding jaws may be moved toward each other by hydraulic drive means in order to obtain a closing position and away from each other into one of their opening positions.

The head geometries to be generated by the two separately actuatable head jaws regularly also comprise the neck component of the plastic container, including one in the form of ampules, which, closed by a head piece by way of a separation point, may be opened for a fluid removal process as soon as the head piece is separated by way of a separation point from a toggle piece molded on it and in this way removed from the plastic container proper.

Such processes have been disclosed in a plurality of embodiments and are widely used in packing systems for liquid or paste products, for example, in the disclosed bottelpack7 system.

The hydraulic drive systems regularly employed in practical applications for the respective feed movement of the molding tool present problems in that any leakage may result in fouling with the fluid, something which results in problems especially when the molding machines are used for plastic containers in the pharmaceutical and food packaging spheres and in medical technology in general. The maintenance cost is also increased and the hydraulic drive systems do not reach the desired or high cycle frequencies for mass production for the sake of precise positioning of the molding tools for shaping of containers.

On the basis of this prior art the object of the invention is to create a molding device for moving at least one molding tool, a tool making it possible to apply modern drive concepts, such as ones in the form of electric or pneumatic drives, the maintenance cost of which is reduced and which permit especially high rates of output of goods to be produced, such as plastic containers, along with high positioning accuracy for the molding tools. The object as thus formulated is attained by means of a molding device with the characteristics specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

In the molding device claimed for the invention a link motion control element is provided for moving at least one molding tool, especially one for generation of container geometries in plastic containers; this element moves the respective molding tool to a closing position at least for closing the mold, the link motion control element being actuatable by a drive. On the basis of the link motion control element a novel drive and movement concept is presented for the respective molding tool, one which makes it possible to dispense with hydraulic drive means entirely and by preference to employ an electric or pneumatic drive as the drive means. The link motion control element in question may, however, continue to be actuated conventionally by means of a hydraulic drive if the respective application appears to call for it and rigid requirements have not been set for sterile filling or clean room qualities.

The molding device claimed for the invention with drivable link motion control element for a closing movement with the molding device permits uniform, safe, and position-accurate driving of the respective molding tool and entails only a minor maintenance effort. The link motion control element may be employed to execute a plurality of opening and closing processes in rapid sequence; with the molding device claimed for the invention this results in high output of goods to be produced, in particular those in the form of blow-molded plastic containers filled under sterile conditions.

In one preferred embodiment of the device claimed for the invention the link motion control element has a slot guide positioned on the exterior circumference on a body of rotation actuatable by a drive. By preference provision is also made such that there is engaged in the slot guide an actuating member which operates in conjunction with a slide component and such that, during rotation of the slot guide from one of its end positions to its other end position and vice versa, the slide component with molding tool which may be associated with it may be displaced with the molding tool by way of the actuating member which my be moved longitudinally in this manner from a closing position to an opening position of the mold shaped by the respective molding tool and vice versa. Safe and precise positioning control is achieved as a result, along with clearly defined specific closing forces specified by the link motion control element.

In another especially preferred embodiment of the molding device claimed for the invention, the maximum closing force for the molding tool may be specified by way of central adjusting means on the slide component means preferably in the form of an energy accumulator. Pressure spring elements, such as ones in the form of disk springs or the like, are suitable for use as energy accumulators. Independently of the closing force of the link motion control element which is applied, this force may be appreciably limited, and the reliability of shaping thereby increased, by way of the adjusting means. It has been found in configuration of the molding device to be especially cost-effective to mount the body of rotation together with the drive so as to be stationary on a machine frame in relation to which the slide component may move back and forth along its rail guide. A rigid machine configuration is achieved for the slide component and for the molding device as a whole and obstacles in operation are reliably eliminated on the basis of the rail guide in question.

In another especially preferred embodiment of the molding device claimed for the invention, the molding tools mounted opposite each other may be moved by a single link motion control element synchronously by way of a common driving component. By preference provision is also made such that at least four link motion control elements positioned in pairs, one opposite the other, may be driven by gearing actuatable by the drive and the common drive component. As a result, a total of four molding tools with mold geometries mounted in sequence may be actuated in pairs operating together synchronously for shaping and mold opening processes in order to produce several container geometries.

In one preferred embodiment provision is also made as protection from collision such that a monitoring assembly monitors the position of the link motion control element, at least with respect to the position of the molding tool in its closing position, but preferably also in its opening position.

It has also been found to be favorable for obstacle-free operation in one preferred embodiment of the molding device claimed for the invention for the path equation for the slot guide of the body of rotation to be executed as a Bestehom sinoid.

The device claimed for the invention will be described in detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which not drawn to scale

FIG. 1 presents a top view of the molding device as a whole;

FIG. 2 an enlarged section of FIG. 1 representing the upper left segment of the latter;

FIG. 3 the development of the path geometry of a link motion control element mounted on a body of rotation and having slot guides such as the path geometry applied in the molding device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

First a part of the molding device as a whole for moving a molding tool 10 will be described with reference to the upper left segment of the illustration in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. On its free front side the molding tool 10 has trough-like recesses (not shown) which form mold halves for generation of container geometries for plastic containers (not shown), including ones in the form of ampules. For the purpose of generating the respective container geometries the molding tool 10 operates in conjunction with a corresponding molding tool 10 a with correspondingly shaped recesses (not shown), the two molding tools 10, 10 a being in the closed molding position shown in FIG. 1, in which position the free front surfaces of the molding tools 10, 10 a meet along a closing separation line I-I.

For the purpose of moving the respective molding tool 10, 10 a use is made of a link motion control element designated as a whole as 12 which may be driven by means of a centrally mounted drive 14. For the sake of simplicity there is shown in FIG. 1 only the spline shaft of the drive which may be coupled to the driven shaft of an electric motor, such as one in the form of an electric stepping motor, and permits driving of the link motion control element 12. For this purpose the spline shaft 14 is rotatably mounted by way of bearings 16 in a machine frame 18 and has a drive gear 20 on its one free side facing the molding tool 10. The drive gear 20 in question meshes with a driven gear 22 of the link motion control element 12. The link motion control element 12 has a slot guide 24 which is positioned on the external circumference side on a body of rotation 26 which may be powered by drive 14 and which is essentially cylindrical in configuration. The respective slot guide 24 has two path or curve segments 28 resulting from development of the body of rotation 26 as show in FIG. 3. The respective path curve of a curve segment 28 obeys a path equation for a Bestehorn sinoid. The respective body of rotation 26 with its path curve segments 28 need not be configured to be identical for the molding tool 10 a to the body of rotation 26 for the molding tool 10. In this instance slight adaptations may be necessary with respect to the control curve pattern. However, the bodies of rotation 26 of the two mold halves 10, 10 a are in other respects essentially the same.

An actuating member 30 in the form of a cam follower engages the slot guide 24 with its two path curve segments 28. The actuating member 30 in question is mounted rotatably on opposite sides of a slide component 32 so that, as the body of rotation 26 with its slot guide 24 rotates, uniform advance in the direction of closing of the molding tools 10, 10 a is ensured, along with uniform resetting movement into a corresponding opening position, the respective rearward position being indicated by a broken-line circle at the top left in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2. When the slot guide 24 rotates from one of its end areas 34 to the other end area 36 of a path curve segment 28, the slide component 32 may be displaced longitudinally in one direction of movement and in the other direction when the body of rotation rotates in the opposite direction. Consequently, the maximum path of travel which may be reached for the slide component 32 thus is determined by the longitudinal axial distance between the end areas 34, 36 opposite each other of two different path curve segments 28 of a slot guide 24 of a body of rotation 26.

The slide component 32 has on its frontal side facing the molding tool 10 a guide component 38 on which the respective molding tool 20 may be mounted so as to be replaceable and on the edge side the guide component 38 is mounted so that it may be displaced axially in the longitudinal direction along two rail guides 40, the ends of the rail guides 40 being appropriately mounted in the machine frame 18. In addition, the guide component 38 is retained so that it may be displaced longitudinally in a displacement component 42 of the slide component in a direction in parallel with the rail guides 40, the displacement component 42 resting on adjusting means 44 in the form of a disk spring package which functions as a compression spring. In this way the maximum closing force for the molding tool 10 may be determined by way of the adjusting means 44 so that a reliably operating shaping process is made possible.

In the line of sight to FIG. 1 a drive component 46 in the form of a drive shaft is mounted at the top in parallel with the upper rail guide 40. At both ends of the drive shaft 46 a crown gear 48, 48 a is connected to this shaft, so that, as the body of rotation 26 moves by way of the drive shaft 14, the driven gear 22 meshes with the crown gear 48, thereby driving the drive shaft 46, which in turn transmits the driving power by way of the crown gear 48 a on the opposite side to the following driven gear 22 of the body of rotation 26 following in the drive chain. Consequently, the molding tools 10, 10 a mounted opposite each other may be actuated and moved in pairs by a single link motion control element 12 with drive 14, by way of the common drive component 46. Hence, molding tools 10, 10 a move synchronously into their opening position and into their closing position along the closing separation line I-I.

As is also to be seen in the illustration in FIG. 1, four link motion control elements 12 positioned opposite each other in pairs may thus be actuated in the drive direction appropriate for back-and-forth movement of the slide components 32 of the molding device by way of the gears operated by the drive 14 and consisting of gears 20, 22 and 48, 48 a. The respective drive is very accurate and permits precise positioning of the respective molding tool 10, 10 a for a molding process. In addition, the molding tools 10 opposite each other in one line may be connected to each other on one side, but may also be separated from each other, that which has been stated also applying correspondingly to molding tools 10 a mounted opposite each other.

As is also to be seen in FIG. 2, a monitoring assembly 50 is provided. It is spring-loaded and may be displaced longitudinally from its locking position illustrated in FIG. 2 into a release position, preferably from the exterior by way of an actuator, in particular one in the form of a pneumatic cylinder or the like. The body of rotation 26 accordingly has on the external circumference side a first recess 52 which corresponds to the closing position of the molding tools 10, 10 a. If locking occurs in this locking position, that is, if parts of the monitoring assembly 50 are engaged in the associated recess 52 in the body of rotation 26, it is made certain that a locking position has been assumed along the closing separation line I-I by the molding tools 10, 10 a and that the machine control unit then recognizes that a reliable molding process is possible. If as a result of an error the position in question is not assumed, the monitoring assembly 50 ascertains this and the molding process could be halted without damage to the molding device. The reset opening position area for the molding tools 10, 10 a may also be monitored synchronously by way of the monitoring assembly 50, by means of a recess (not shown) positioned diametrically opposite recess 52. In addition, the drive shaft 46 is mounted on the end side so as to be rotatable, by way of additional bearings 54 in the machine frame 18.

The configuration of the molding device as described makes it possible to reach very high cycle speeds in production of molded containers of a plastic material, along with very high machining accuracy, in view of the specifiable accuracy of positioning of the molding tools 10, 10 a, with respect both to their closing position and to movement apart into their opening position for the production mold. The molding device is very rigidly configured from the viewpoint of its structural design, so that precise actuation of the moving parts is ensured, while the molding device may be very cost-effectively produced and maintained because of the equivalent parts employed. 

1. A molding device for moving at least one molding tool (10, 10 a), in particular for generating container geometries for plastic containers, by means of a link motion control element (12) which moves the respective molding tool (10, 10 a) at least for closing the mold into a closing position (I-I), and characterized in that the link motion control element (12) may be actuated by a drive (14).
 2. The molding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link motion control element (12) has a slot guide (24) positioned on the external circumference side on a body of rotation (26) which may be driven by the drive (14).
 3. The molding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slot guide (24) is engaged by an actuating member (30) which operates in conjunction with a slide component (32) and wherein, as the slot guide (24) rotates from one of its end areas (34) to its other end area (36) and vice versa, the slide component (32) which may be associated with it may be displaced with the molding tool (10, 10 a) by way of the thus longitudinally displaceable actuating member (30) from a closing position into an opening position of the mold formed by the respective molding tool (10, 10 a) and vice versa.
 4. The molding device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the maximum closing force for the molding tool (10, 10 a) may be specified by way of adjusting means (44) on the slide component (32), preferably means in the form of an energy accumulator.
 5. The molding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the body of rotation (26) is mounted so as to be stationary together with the drive (14) on a machine frame (18) in relation to which the slide component (32) may be moved back and forth along its rail guide (40).
 6. The molding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the molding tools (10, 10 a), each opposite a link motion control element (12), may be moved synchronously in pairs by way of a common drive component (46).
 7. The molding device as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least four link motion control elements (12) may be driven in pairs opposite each other by way of gearing which may be operated by the drive (14) and the common drive component (46).
 8. The molding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a monitoring assembly (50) monitors the position of a link motion control element (12), at least in with respect to the position of the molding tool (10, 10 a) in its closing position.
 9. The molding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the path equation for the slot guide (24) is obtained from a Bestehom sinoid.
 10. The molding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the drive (14) is an electric motor, a stepping motor in particular. 